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"Twos and tens is heavy against dummy," said Major Moody. "I'll take dummy, if you like it," said Vignolles. Moody only looked at him. "We'll each have our own dummy, of course," said Mountjoy. "Just as you please," said Vignolles. "I'm host here, and of course will give way to anything you may propose. What's it to be, Scarborough?" "Pounds and fives. I shan't play higher than that."

"You mean to say you're going to break us up," said Vignolles. "That'll be hard on Scarborough." "I'll go on for money," said the immovable major. "I suppose you won't have it out with me at double dummy?" said Vignolles to his victim. "But double dummy is a terrible grind at this time of night." And he pushed all the cards up together, so as to show that the amusement for the night was over.

Vignolles took his friend Stephenson to see the model; and after carefully examining it, he observed emphatically, “It won’t do: it is only the fixed engines and ropes over again, in another form; and, to tell you the truth, I don’t think this rope of wind will answer so well as the rope of wire did.” He did not think the principle would stand the test of practice, and he objected to the mode of applying the principle.

But the conversation was soon turned from Mr. Prosper to Captain Vignolles and Mr. Grey. Mountjoy had determined, as soon as he had got the check from Mr. Grey, to say nothing about it to his father. He had told Mr. Grey in order that he need not tell his father, if the money were forthcoming. But he had not been five minutes in his father's room before he rushed to the subject.

There would be none to sympathize with him when he cursed his ill-luck, there would be no chance of contending with an innocent who would be as reckless as was he himself. He looked round. The room was gloomy and uncomfortable. Captain Vignolles watched him, and was afraid that his prey was about to escape. "Won't you light a cigar?"

Of all this we, in Compiegne, knew so much as that it was wiser to strike the Duke at Roye, before he could add English talbots to his Burgundian harriers. Therefore all the captains of companies, as Boussac, Xaintrailles, Alain Giron, Amadee de Vignolles, and Loys de Naucourt, mustered their several companies, to the number of some five thousand men- at-arms.

It is about two miles long, and in some parts 80 feet deep. It is a narrow ravine or defile cut out of the solid rock; and not less than 480,000 cubic yards of stone were removed from it. Mr. Vignolles, afterwards describing it, said it looked as if it had been dug out by giants. The crossing of so many roads and streams involved the necessity for constructing an unusual number of bridges.

He was a small, dry, good-looking little fellow, with a carefully preserved mustache, and a head from the top of which age was beginning to move the hair. He lived by cards, and lived well. He was called Captain Vignolles, but it was only known of him that he was a professional gambler. He probably never cheated.

This was but a bad beginning of the new life he was expected to lead under the renewed fortunes which his father was preparing for him. He had given his promissory note for the money at a week's date, and had been extremely angry with Captain Vignolles because that gentleman had, under the circumstances, been a little anxious about it.

Men who play at the clubs scarcely ever cheat, there are so many with whom they play sharp enough to discover them; and with the discovered gambler all in this world is over. Captain Vignolles never cheated; but he found that an obedience to those little rules which I have named above stood him well in lieu of cheating.